EARACHE.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1180, 16 September 1885, Page 4

EARACHE.

A paper of a highly practical nature, and dealing with an ailment which is as distressing as it is frequent, appeared in the " Lancet." The article in question is written by Hewetson, ear-sur-geon to the Leeds Infirmary, and deals with the value of the injection of the glycerine of carbolic acid in earache. Mr Hewetson, by the way, also speaks of the instant relief experienced in distressing toothache when the exposed pulp of the tooth is touched with the substance just named. The details of his first case of cure of earache by the glycerine are thus reported : — " It is now about seven years since a patient came to me saying that his little boy of five years of age had, within the pre- | vious three hours, developed acute earache, and that his temperature was above lOOdeg "¥. The temperature had ! been taken by his mother, and was rising. The thought occurred to me, why not inject glycerine and carbolic acid into the ears, as it was evidently a case of inflammation of the middle ear, which would eventually end in perforation and relief, as it had in this child done several times before ? I injected this solution of carbolic acid and glycerine, and, to my great delight, it acted as in toothache, almost instantly I relieving the acute pain. This was done at three in the afternoon, and the next morning the boy was perfectly well, and heard nearly naturally, tliougli not quite, as te still tact a cold.Tbe iynpauum {or clruaa mevnbxane of the ear) never became perforated, aB it had done on previous occasions, and the temperature rapidly fell to normal." In applying this remedy, Mr Hewetson says that there is one way in which it may fail to relieve pain at once, and that is in case it is poured too quickly into the ear, when the patient has his head aside, with the lobe of tbe ear in its natural position. "In this way," ho adds, " the air cannot escape sufficiently freely, and a bubble of air prevents the fluid from reaching the bottom of the meatus. The proper way is to draw the lobe of the ear forcibly upwards and backwards, as in syringing the ear, to straighten the entrance to the meatus, and then allow the fluid to trickle gently down one side, whilst the air escapes up the opposite side." An equally interesting remark is that made by the author, where he says that this remedy applied in scarlet fever cases^-in which, as is well known, ear-troubles are specially liable to occur — tends to prevent such ear-ailments, and more particularly the j perforation of tho ear-drum &nA Am- j charge, which form such troublesome, aud often dangerous complications of fever.

Artificial sponge, made from cotton, rendered absorbent, and treated with antiseptics, has been invented in England, at Birmingham. A piece of the size of a walnut has absorbed water until it reached the size of a cocoanut. It is so cheap that it need be used but once, so that sponge infection may be readily avoided. A Root that the Government is bent upon cultivating — The Suakim route. Highwaymen.— Road sweepers.